metalgearfandomcom-20200222-history
War economy
The war economy, also known as the war industry, was an economical global structure that emerged in the 2010s, turning war into a lucrative business. State economies became solely dependent on war with an immediate need for private military companies. History The concept of a war economy was first alluded when Kazuhira Miller described its concept to Naked Snake in 1974.Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010). Kazuhira Miller: This mercenary business we've built - someday, it's going to be the new driving force in the world economy. The Cold War's not going to last forever. Sooner or later, it's going to give way to an era of regional conflicts and terrorism. A paradigm shift from counter-Communism to counter-terrorism. In the new age, armies won't be tied to states, and war will become a business. We'll be a valuable commodity. There'll be clients all over the world who need our services. MSF is only the beginning. What we're creating is a revolution in itself. Am I right? // Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kaz, it's... not going to be that easy. After the fall of MSF the use of Private Forces (PFs) became widespread in ethnic conflicts. Cipher saw this change in the industry as favorable since ongoing conflicts against an everlasting enemy allowed them to take attention away from themselves and redirect the public's animosity outside of their borders thus unifying them against their enemies. Survivors of MSF were later forced to become PFs and dogs of war shortly after MSF's fall, many times dying for no reason and with no banner, with demand being particularly high in the Angola-Zaire border region of Central Africa by 1984, for a variety of reasons including Cold War standoffs, tribal clashes, and resource exploitation. Miller, one of the people responsible for the development of the war economy and PFs in particular, later reflected that the whole concept had taken "a pretty crooked course" between MSF's fall and the Diamond Dogs' first visit to Central Africa.Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015) Episode 13: Pitch Dark Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: The war industry we started has taken a pretty crooked course these past nine years. With no other options, soldiers have become dogs of war sent to conflict zones as "private forces," or PFs. Guys we fought alongside are dying alongside the globe for no reason - no banner. But it's how they survive. The demand for PFs here in Africa is especially high. Cold War standoffs, resource exploitation, tribal clashes... What's big business for developed countries has only brought conflict here. That mess you're standing in... is just the latest example. PFs also provided them with a source of income and by controlling the PFs they could create an environment of everlasting war and provide themselves with an infinite source of income as a result. Over time war became a permanent tool for manipulating the public mind and thus the "War Economy" was born. The war economy also resulted in increased levels of corruption in Military-based science due to an increase in the Research and Development race, which also resulted in (at least) some scientists doing some experiments without ever realizing the true damage they are doing.Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Kojima Productions (2008) Naomi Hunter: "I can't believe this sort of thing still goes on..." // Otacon: "The war economy is heating up the R&D race. It's not just the PMCs, either. Every corporation tethered to the military-industrial complex is losing its sense of morality. And it's us science-holics who are doing their dirty work for them... Not even realizing it." The term "war economy" was later used in 2014 by many analysts to describe the current time's overall situation: the total control of the battlefield brought by the SOP system had created an increased demand for war (becoming a product), and artificially controlling the intensity of warfare. Although the United Nations was unanimously in favor of the war economy, America did not desire to allow for the war economy to happen, but because of its over-exporting its military forces, as well as the backlash stemming from the Manhattan Incident, it was left with no other choice but to allow it to be voted into existence. In 2014, most of the PMCs belonged to Liquid Ocelot's major PMC mother company. As a result, various advertisements pertaining to the war economy, called battlefield ads, were supplied through various areas. Though the war economy provided conventional advantages on battlefields with the introduction of the SOP system, it also paved the way for illegal activity, where gun launderers (like Drebin 893) found loop holes in order to distribute their weapons, taking advantage of it and selling to PMC's, Paramilitary, state armies, and even terrorist groups, thus business was booming thanks to the high demands of war. According to Otacon's description to Old Snake, Drebin's rates were tied into the war economy due to the energy supply and distribution networks that support them (However, the Patriots had deliberately allowed Gun Launderers to exist, as Drebin mentioned that he was allowed to launder naked guns because they let him, and had absolutely nothing to do with his ties to AT Corp). It also resulted in the use of child soldiers becoming even more prevalent than before, as well as the creation of more refugees. According to Big Mama's description to Old Snake, the AIs (JD, AL, TR, TJ, and GW) were responsible for the creation of the war economy. Big Boss' description to Snake reveals that the war economy was a total deviation of Zero's will as the proxy-AIs' interpretation of a better way to accomplish their goals was war. They created the war economy and started a battlefield revolution similar to the industrial and digital revolutions that Big Boss describes as "a new world without ideology, principles, or ideals, not even the thing The Boss treasured the most: loyalty. It was a colossal error in judgment – one Zero couldn't possibly have foreseen." In actuality, it was the the complete antithesis of the future she had envisioned. Donald Anderson had been indirectly and unintentionally responsible for the AIs going down this path, as he had earlier programmed them with the ability to learn for themselves as well as giving them broad instructions to follow after Strangelove had been slain by Huey Emmerich before she could supply the then-in development AIs with concepts such as compassion. In 2018, Raiden, when asked by Courtney Collins why AIs would form the war economy despite not having any apparent gain for it, pondered whether even the AIs themselves knew what they were doing. As a direct result of SOP's shutdown, the war economy waned to some extent. However, not all people were too happy with the "break" from it, a notable example being the Desperado Enforcement LLC. leader Sundowner, who felt that acting as a soldier for hire and warmonger was his livelihood. Ultimately, the war economy did end up rejuvenated due in large part to Steven Armstrong's orchestrating an attack on an American Air Base in Pakistan and making it seem as though Pakistan was responsible. See also Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Notes and references Category:Metal Gear Solid 4 Category:Events Category:Canon events